Mouthpiece for musical wind instruments



Dec. 25, 1928. 1,696,516

E. BERCIOUX HOUTHPIECE FOR MUSICAL WINE INSTRUMENTS Filed April 15, 1927 f 9 i ,46 fT' I? a a3 Z2 INVENTQR zrzzyezzz fiaraaaz. BY 4 ATTORNEY j Patented Dec. 25, 1928.

UNITED STATES EU'ENE Brin'oro'ozi, or new ioit'k'; Y.

MOUTHPIECE' FOR MUsIoAI; WiNlD INsiRtirM EnT's;

Application filed April 15, 152%;- Serial No. 184,087.

This invention relates to im royements in mouthpieces for musical Will instruments, and has particular reference to mouthpieces for clarinets and'tlie like. 7 I

An important object of the invention, in its broader aspects, is to provide a mouthpiece which will give clearer musical tones and greater volume of sound and better tone quality with less effort on the part of the musician. M g

Another object is to provide such a mouthpiece Wherein a column of air is permitted to expand rather suddenly as it passes through a restricted portion of the chamber, andgwherein the air pamage'wfay ancl tlie chamber are free from impediments to the blown column of air. 2 I p I V More specifically he invention oontein; plates a mouthpiece' in the form ofa shell which is provided with aniiilet c han1ber of gradually varying erossssectional configuration and which; at its inner end, communicates with'ardischarge passa eway into which the eolumn o t air is adapte to expand. The

I inlet end of the cha mber, in the )referred form of the invention, is substantial y'trapezoidal in outline while the ma'orportionpf its diseharge end is'substantially' circular in cross-section; the change from one outline to theother being gradualthroughthe length of the eha mber The improved mouthpiece is further characterized by a secondary chamber portion mutually intersecting the acent walls of the main portion of the chamber and the discharge passageway. T,he discharge passageway is' substantially cylindrical and of greater cross-sectional area than the meeting end of the chaniber and may preferably join said chamber in a shoulder rather than merging therewith.

These and other objects, features and advantages \vill be readily apparent from the following description. in connection with, the accompanying drawings; wherein one form of the invention has been shown by way of illustration, andwherein,

Figure 1 is a bottom plan view of a'mouthpiece embodying the invention; I

Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view on the line 22 of Fig. Land shown for convenience in inverted position;

Figure 3 is a v'ertical transverse sectional view on the line 3'3 of Fig. 2'; and

Fig. 4 is avertical transverse sectional view on the line 4-4 of Fig. 2.

The improved mouthpiece contemplated by the presenti'nvention may be of any usual or preferred form in its'general exterior construction a'ndmay be integrally formedlof hard rubber or other'desirable material dependent to some extent upon the particular instrument-to whlcl'rit is'to be applied. The mouthpiece Shdwnby' way oi. illustrat-ibn in the drawihgs (Z-OIllPllSQSfifShell 1O which may be substantially cyllndrieal' throughout the na or portion of its length, and provided ad- ]acent its discharge end with, a neckportion 11 of reduced diameter, fitted witha suitable gasket 12 of .cork or othendesirable packing material, whereliythe IJJ uthpiBCB may be inserted in the throat of anins trunientand leak'ageof air positixfely prevented, Extendg inwa ly from the-d scharge en -of the mouthpiece is a substantially centralcylindrical b r whic ha its inner endoin commu a withia one ha berl n The mb 1 tendafimvar ls' m he H et end .lfi'of h h ll .10. an ii par.- -ie y cover d by a reed 16 pt ny; ordin ry P efe ed yp sa drreed b ilg. norma y held in position on aflattenejdsurface 17 of the shell 'by mean' s of the usual ligatur'cs, or e w asj si sd 1 As b Sho ia'E a. 2,.-. he ch m .1 is sp e t an, sean le. w h r e ence to the axis of the passageway 13, and a charteris t issh mb r is at itrani s gradual y in; cross-sectional configuration, with p the result that column of air blown therct-hrough produces a liner to ne quality than has been possible heretofore. This is a fact which has been substantiated by practice of the invention. The entrance to the chamber 14; is substantially rectangular or trapezoidal, as shown in Fig. 1, having its major base 18 at the tapered end, 15 of the mouthpiece and having its minor base 19 and sidewalls 20 and 21 substantially straight and terminating rearwardly' with reference to the inner end of the passageway 13,. AS the said walls of the chamber 1 1 ai'e fo'llowed iuwardly, their contoui varies ibv the formation of merging curves'so thattheinn'er end 22 ofth e chamber is substaiitiallyicircu lar in eross section and approximately concentric withthe bore 13 The inne'r'end of the bo l-e13 is of greatercross sectional area than the said inner end 22 of the chamher, and the result is that:tliegni o uthpi ce preferably has a pronounced shoulder-'23 at the point of juncture of the chamber With said bore 13, and this variation'permits'of the rapid expansion of the column of air as it leaves the chamber 14. In addition to this major portion of the tone chamber which has just been described, the improved mouthiece is characterized by a secondary chamer portion 24 which is defined by a. cylindrical wall 25 disposed at an angle and extending from the minor base 19 to the wall of the bore 13 at a substantial distance beyond the shoulder 23. This secondary portion 24 eliminates from the chamber any undesirable resistance to the colmn of air which would otherwise be present, and the arrangement is such that when viewed as in Fig. 3 the crosssectional configuration of the interior of the mouthpiece is substantially that of a figure 8, or it might be described as defined by a pair of overlapping circles.

W'hen'the improved mouthpiece is in use,

'. the performer blows into it in the usual manner and the resultant column of air passes principally through the major portion of the chamber 14, though some of it, of course, passes through the secondary portion 2-4 and intothe passageway 13. In view of thegradually varying contour of the chamber, the tones produced will be clear and true and the volume of sound will be considerably improved. Furthermore, in view of the rapid expansion of the column of air as it passes the shoulder 23, and its freedom from obstructions in its subsequent passage through the bore 13, the desired tones can be obtained by the performer with less effort on his part. The inven tion has been thoroughly tested and found to be a very substantial advance in the art because of the above-mentioned improved qualities and characteristics, and while the improved mouthpiece is particularly well adapted for use in clarinets, it may also be used in Saxophones, or the like, if desired. By varying the relative proportions of the cylindrical wall 25 and the inner end 2). of the chamber, the invention can be modified for use in instruments of different keys. For example, by increasing the opening in the throat of the chamber the tone volume may be increased, whereas reducing the size of said opening slightly reduces the volume but gives a finer quality. In the prior art mouthpieces of this general character the tone chamber has been substantially square or rectangular, and generally passing into a cylindrical bore without proper freedom for the expansion of the column of air. And in some forms the chamber has been round, giving too much freedom for the air, with a resultant whistling effect. \Vith the present improved mouthpiece, however, there is the necessary freedom from obstructions and ability for quick expansion which provides the improved musical results.

An important feature of the invention resides in the curved arch portion of the mouthpiece, which may be produced by the transversely curved secondary chamber portion 2%, such curved arch portion being located beyond the inner end of the entrance to the in clined chamber 14, and such arch portion reinforcing the mouthpiece at the flattened surface to which the reed is applied. lVarping in. mouthpieces always occurs at substantially the same place, which is caused by the pressure of the reed which is held tight against the mouthpiece by the ligature, and by reason of such arch portion this objection isovercome, particularly in mouthpieces which 'are made integrally of hard rubber.

Obviously, the invention is susceptible of numerous modifications in the details of construction and arrangements of parts, and the 'ight is herein reserved to make such changes as fall within the scopeof the patented claims without departing from thcspirit of the invention. p

Having thus described my invention, what lclaim is: I

1. Amouthpiece for clarinets and the like, comprising ashell having an inclinedchamber at its entrance end and a relatively straight passageway leading from said chamher to the exit end ofxthe mouthpiece, said chamber having its Wall curved transversely and of substantially circular form at its inner end, and said passageway being of larger cross-sectionalarea than saidehamber and the walls thereof having a shoulder formed by the intersection of the chamber with the passageway.

2. A mouthpiece for clarinets and the like, comprising a shell having a substantially central passageway extending inwardly from its discharge end, and having an inclined chamber extending from the inlet end of the mouthpiece and in communication with said central passageway, the cross-sectional configuration of said chamber gradually varying inwardly from substantially trapezoidal to substantially circular at the inner end of the chamber, and the inner end of said chamber being of less area than the meeting end of said central passageway.

3. A month ieec for clarinets and the like, comprising a s ell having a substantially central passageway extending inwardly from its discharge end, and having an inclined chamber extending from the inlet end of the mouthpiece into communication with said central passageway, the entrance end of said chamber being substantially trapezoidal in outline, and the discharge end of said chain ber being defined by overlapped circles in cross-section.

4. A mouthpiece for clarinets and the like, comprising a shell having a substantially central passageway ext-ending inwardly from its discharge end, and having an inclined chamber extending from the inlet end of the mouthpiece into communication with said central passageway, the entrance end of said chamber being substantially trapezoidal in out-line, and the discharge end of said chamber being defined by overlapped circles in cross-section, the intersection of the walls of said chamber with that of the passageway defining an abrupt shoulder which permits a sudden expansion of a column of air leaving the chamber.

A mouthpiece for clarincts and the like, comprising a shell having a substantially central cylindrical passageway extending inwardly from its discharge end, and being further provided with a chamber extending in .\'ardl from the inlet end of the mouthpiece and intersecting said passageway at an obtuse angle said chamber having a main portion which varies gradually from substantially straight to curved walls in cross-section, and said chamber having a secondary portion with a. cylindrically curved wall which intersects both said main portion of the ch amber and said central passageway.

6. A mouthpiece for wind instruments of the class described comprising a shell having a substantially central cylindrical passageway extending inwardly from its discharge end, and being further provided with a chamber extending inwardly from the inlet end of the mouthpiece to communicate with said passageway, said chamber having a portion which by itself extends into the inner end of said passageway, and having another portion which intersects the side wall of the cylindrical passageway beyond its inner end.

7. A mouthpiece for clarinets and the like, comprising a solid shell having an inclined chamber at its entrance end and a longitudinal passage way leading from the chamber to the opposite end of the mouthpiece, and said chamber having a curved arch portion beyond the inner end of its entrance, which arch reinforces the mouthpiece at the flattened surface to which the reed is applied.

EUGENE BERCIOUX. 

